Fire Doors- No Compromise On Safety!

By Author: Sunil Punjabi
Total Articles: 2554
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Current building regulations state that some properties and non-residential dwellings require fire doors to be fitted by law. At the present time, the essential fitting of such doors applies to both commercial premises and HMO's (Houses in Multiple Occupation, which are commonly rented out to several individuals). The regulations state that clear access is to be made from all floors of a property in order that safe access can be made to the nearest exist. Today, for those considering purchasing a property most new homes are fitted with adequate fire doors as standard by developers.

fire doors, the vital facts
It is important to know all of the facts before purchasing and installing any fire doors.

· There are a range of doors that will prove suitable and these involve a framed door with solid panels. The generally accepted minimum thickness of 44mm has been deemed sufficient (new 35mm fire doors are available in 6 panel white grained).

· With any fire door that is fitted it is vital that these are fitted with automatic door closers.

· When it comes ...
... to purchasing any type of fire door, they will need to be tested in line with the BS 476-22: 1987 standard.

· Any door that is required to meet the bare minimum of requirements would need to be able to withstand the effects of fire for a period of 30 minutes.

· In any building an allocated escape must have a fire resistant door fitted and it is essential that this will close automatically once the building has been vacated.

· fire doors are obviously a vital element should a fire break out but another important part is the seals that surround such doors. If the heat and smoke were to seep through poorly sealed frame surrounds, this could compromise the safety of a fire door, therefore intumescent strip or smoke seal would also be required.

The benefits of fire doors are obvious and it is well known that these have and continue to protect many lives so if you are considering fitting such doors within your home or business then this is the best and safest decision you may ever make.

Rented accommodation and fire doors
Compared with owned properties, there are different requirements in terms of building regulations when it comes to accommodation that is to be rented out. At the present time, there are no regulations for the installation of fire doors when it comes to tenanted properties aside from the exception of a HMO. For those landlords who break HMO and fire legislation laws, the punishment can be severe. If the laws are breached then one can expect a hefty fine or even a prison sentence. To prevent such problems a property owner must carry out regularly fire assessment checks to ensure all essential regulations are met.

Fact: Figures released by the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) indicated that a total of 363 people died in 2006. 111 of these occurred in HMO's.

If you are looking for affordable fire doors, there are many suppliers who can provide excellent quality and prices. Some of these suppliers also have an online catalogue on their website, and you can view the doors, and call them or contact them for a for a free quote for fire doors.

If you have decided that the installation of fire doors would benefit you then at Savoy Timber -http://www.savoydoors.co.uk/, we offer an affordable range in our online catalogue: Our range of fire doors are not only modern and safe, but are also priced to suit any budget.